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December 23rd, 2010
 Starting February 1, 2011, a new law goes into effect in California that will block mail-order sales of any loaded ammo that can be used in a pistol. That, of course, includes .22LR, 30-30, .223 Remington, 6mmBR and other popular rifle rounds that have been adapted for pistols. In the fall of 2009, when AB962 was first passed by the California legislature, we reported on this restrictive new legislation. The new law IS being challenged in court, but it is still set to go into effect on February 1st, 2011.
CLICK HERE for Full Text of AB 962
In response to California’s imminent mail-order ammo ban, ammunition vendors are gearing up for a rush of ammo sales in the next five weeks. Here is Cabela’s Ammo Sale Notice:
Related Articles
California Legislature Passes AB 962
Schwarzenegger Terminates Mail-Order Ammo Sales in California
Lawsuit Challenges California Ammo Ban
December 16th, 2010
 Richard M. Hammett, Olin Corporation Vice President and President of Olin’s Winchester division, plans to retire effective February 28, 2011. Thomas J. O’Keefe assumes responsibilities as President of Winchester, effective January 1, 2011.
 Hammett spent 42 years with Olin Corporation in a variety of finance, marketing and senior management roles. He has served as President of Olin’s Winchester Division since September 2002. An active sportsman and industry leader, Hammett is a board member and treasurer for the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). He also serves on the board of the Small Arms and Ammunition Manufacturing Institute (SAAMI).
Incoming Winchester President Thomas J. O’Keefe, who holds Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Metallurgical Engineering, has plenty of experience in ammunition production. O’Keefe held positions in the manufacturing and engineering organization of Olin’s Brass division, and was appointed VP, Manufacturing and Engineering for the division in 2001. In 2006, O’Keefe was appointed VP, Manufacturing Operations for Winchester and assumed additional responsibility for Business Planning in 2008. For more info about Winchester Ammunition and its complete line of products visit www.Winchester.com.
December 8th, 2010
The folks at Personal Armament Podcast have come up with Holiday Gift Guide for Yuppie Shooters. While that story title mocks shooters who may have more money than skill, the list actually contains some interesting new gear. Here are a few examples:
Technoframes Ammo Carriers and Display Cases.
These CNC-machined display boxes look great. There are many varieties to choose from, including wood, metal, and plexiglass. We like the fact that many of the boxes are lockable.
 
 
Custom Tool for Loading and Unloading Revolver Moon Clips
This unique moon/de-moon tool set retails for $80 and is available from Randell Kenner, 3111 Lien Street, Rapid City, SD 57702, (605) 605-348-3538, bmtmooner@rushmore.com.
Moon Clip Tool photos courtesy www.ApexTactical.com.
Faux Guitar Case Gun Bag
This Ultimate Discrete Rifle Case, produced for LWRC Int’l by Blue Force Gear, stows a tactical carbine inside what appears to be a guitar case. Looks nicely made, but when you think about it, why pay $149.99 for the “Ultimate Discrete Rifle Case” when, for forty bucks or less on eBay, you can buy a real “previously-owned” guitar case that will do the same job — and be even more stealthy.
Check Out the Podcasts from PersonalArmament.com
You should visit the Personal Armament Podcast Site. Launched in 2009, this website features dozens of podcast interviews with interesting folks, including 2010 National Long-Range Champion John Whidden, Chris Hodgdon of Hodgdon/IMR Powders, and Kevin Thomas from Nammo Lapua.
November 1st, 2010
Nosler is running a “Buy Two, Get One Free” promotion on certain NoslerCustom® Trophy Grade™ hunting and varmint ammunition. This promo, known as the Sportsman’s Stimulus Plan, starts on November 15 and runs through May 15, 2011. The FIVE Sportsman’s Stimulus Plan ammo choices are:
1. (60001) 223 Remington 40gr Ballistic Tip®
2. (60003) 22-250 Remington 55gr Ballistic Tip®
3. (60049) 308 Winchester 165gr AccuBond®
4. (60054) 308 Winchester Match 168gr Custom Competition™
5. (60057) 30-06 Springfield 165gr AccuBond®
Nosler Ammo Promotion — How it Works
Buyers must purchase a minimum of two boxes of identical ammunition from the five choices above, and submit the original dated receipt with store name, and the bar codes (or copy thereof) from each box along with a return shipping address to Nosler, Inc., Attn: Sales Department, P.O Box 671, Bend, OR 97709. Then, an additional box of ammo will be sent to the customer at no charge.
Direct Purchases via Nosler.com
If purchasing from www.nosler.com, just enter in the number of boxes wished to be purchased from the promotional list and the free box(es) of ammunition will be automatically added to the order.
Deadline is May 15, 2011
All receipts and internet orders must be received by Nosler no later than May 15, 2011. Nosler will not ship ammunition to P.O. Box addresses or to persons younger than 18 years of age. For more information go to www.Nosler.com/stimulus.
September 17th, 2010
A new web vendor for loaded ammunition has just opened its doors to the online public. BulkAmmo.com launched its new secure web-store earlier this month. To celebrate its grand opening, BulkAmmo.com is offering our readers a special promotion: $25 off their first order over $200. To take advantage of this special offer, use Coupon CODE “GrandOpening” during check-out.
Steven, one of the BulkAmmo.com principals tells us: “We have a lot of inventory available and it’s all ready to ship.” BulkAmmo.com currently stocks major brands including Aguilla, CCI, Federal, Fiocchi, PMC, Remington, Tula, Winchester, and Wolf. You’ll find a wide selection of pistol, rimfire, and centerfire rifle ammo, plus shotgun shells. Brands of .308 Win brass-cased ammo include: Hornady (Interlock), Federal (GMM), and PMC.
September 6th, 2010
 Applied Ballistics, run by top Palma shooter Bryan Litz, now offers extremely high-quality loaded match ammunition for .308 Fullbore (Palma) shooters. The new Applied Ballistics “FULLBORE” ammo, priced at $38.00/box, is unlike anything on the market. It features the best available components, with individually-weighed charges. Independent testing shows this ammo offers extremely low ES and SD with accuracy comparable to precision hand-loaded cartridges.
Bryan Litz tells us: “Applied Ballistics’ FULLBORE ammunition is not just another ‘factory ammo’ option. This ammo is loaded specifically for the rifles and chambers commonly used in international-style Palma and Fullbore shooting.” Bryan cited the important qualities which make his FULLBORE ammo unique:
- AB FULLBORE is the only .308 Win Ammo with Individually-Weighed Charges.
- AB FULLBORE is the only .308 Win Ammo with Berger Bullets AND Lapua Brass.
- AB FULLBORE is the only .308 Win Ammo Optimized for Int’l Fullbore Competition.
- AB FULLBORE is the only .308 Win Ammo with Independently-Verified Single-Digit SD.
What Makes Applied Ballistics’ FULLBORE Ammo Special
Unlike most factory ammo, AB FULLBORE powder charges are carefully weighed, not metered, which helps to minimize muzzle velocity variation. Velocity averages over 3000 fps from 30″ barrels with Standard Deviation (SD) typically under 10 fps. Components are the best available, according to Bryan: “The ammo is loaded with Berger 155.5 grain bullets and Lapua brass. These are the same components I’ve had success with for years. The brass preparation, loading techniques, and QC steps that I’ve implemented for larger-scale production insure this ammo is good enough to win at the highest levels.”
Applied Ballistics FULLBORE Ammo Already Proven in Competition
Can this pre-loaded FULLBORE ammo really rival handloads in competition? Yes it can, according to Bryan: “I’ve been prototyping and testing ammo this past year and have had very good results. One notable achievement was a 150-15X fired at 900 yards during a coached team match in Lodi, WI during the Midwest Palma Tournament.”
Brian adds: “This ammo is the perfect option for someone who doesn’t enjoy handloading but still wants the accuracy, consistency and performance of handloaded ammunition. It’s also a good option for beginners who haven’t learned how to reload and/or don’t yet have the equipment but want to train and compete with quality ammunition.”
Tierney Tests New FULLBORE Ammo and Rates It Highly
Jerry Tierney, past NBRSA 600-yard and 1000-yard Champion and skilled Palma shooter, has tested the new ammo extensively. In comparison tests with Jerry’s own .308 Win handloads, the Applied Ballistics FULLBORE ammo shot great. Jerry concluded: “The Applied Ballistics 155.5 grain FULLBORE loads matched the best I can do hand loading. They fit the new 2011 fullbore chamber very well. I would not hesitate to use this FULLBORE ammo in any match anywhere.”
Notably, the Applied Ballistics ammo had a lower ES and SD than Jerry’s handloads. One five-shot group of the FULLBORE ammo had an ES of 7 fps and SD of 2 fps — that’s remarkably low. Four groups shot with Tierney’s handloads at 300 yards averaged 0.449 MOA, vs. 0.498 MOA for two groups of the Applied Ballistics ammo, so the accuracy is very close to the best precision handloads.
Click Here for complete Jerry Tierney Applied Ballistics Ammo Test Results (PDF file).
Coming Next — Applied Ballistics Tactical .308 Win and .338 Lapua Magnum Ammo
Applied Ballistics plans to release more types of high-quality loaded ammo in the months ahead. Bryan reports: “Future plans include a .308 load optimized for tactical applications. This will be a magazine-length round probably with a 175 grain bullet with favorable transonic stability. Eventually I’d like to offer a .338 Lapua Magnum tactical/hunting round loaded with Berger’s 300 grain Hybrid bullet.”
Bryan explains that he is developing .308 Win tactical ammo, because the FULLBORE product is made specifically for Palma work: “The fact that the FULLBORE ammo is optimized for the target application means it’s not necessarily ideal for other uses. For example, the rounds are too long to feed through standard-length magazines so they’re not of much use for tactical shooters. Also the seating depth is optimized for the chambers typically used in custom target rifles so it’s not the best option for factory (SAAMI) chambers.”
To order Applied Ballistics’ .308 Win FULLBORE ammo, visit Bryan’s AppliedBallisticsLLC.com website, which features secure online ordering. Currently, .308 Win FULLBORE ammo is priced at $38.00 per 20-round box (shipping extra).
August 10th, 2010
 Young Entrepreneurs Launch LuckyGunner.com
What happens when two dedicated sport shooters, one of whom is an IT specialist, find they aren’t able to source the ammo and reloading supplies they need? Well, they start their own company! The acute ammo/component shortages of the past two years inspired the creation of LuckyGunner.com. LuckyGunner.com’s story is like most American success stories: a combination of hard work, entrepreneurial innovation, and some good fortune. The co-founders, both under age 30, successfully navigated the Obama-induced ammunition shortage, the Great Recession, and the normal challenges faced by all small-business owners to transform their idea into a shooting supplies website generating over $3,200,000 of revenue in its first twelve months.
 Among ammunition and component vendors, LuckyGunner.com is somewhat unique — it “doesn’t do back-orders”. Through an advanced “real-time” inventory system, everything that displays on the LuckyGunner.com website is guaranteed to be in stock. LuckyGunner.com also ships orders fast — normally all orders placed before 3:00 pm EST will ship that same day or on the following business day.
Extensive In-Stock Ammo Inventory
Most of the loaded ammunition carried by LuckyGunner.com is for handguns, but the company is building up its selection of name-brand rifle ammo in popular calibers: .308 Win, .223 Rem, .243 Win, 30-06, 7.62×39 and more. And of course LuckyGunner.com maintains a huge supply of 22LR and 17HMR rimfire ammo in stock. Hand-loaders will be pleased to note that Luckygunner.com has plenty of primers in stock, of all flavors: CCI, Federal, Fiocchi, Remington, Winchester, Wolf.
Frustrations with Other Vendors Inspired Creation of LuckyGunner.com
Luckygunner’s founders had themselves experienced the frustration of waiting long periods for merchandise: “We were already customers of other online retailers and simply realized that all our normal sources were chronically out-of-stock.” This frustration was compounded by the common industry practice of accepting orders for out-of-stock product and then notifying frustrated customers only days later that the order could not be fulfilled for several weeks or months.
A New Business Model Based on Fast Shipping with No Back Orders
LuckyGunner.com was created to “deliver the goods” without long wait times. One of the company’s founders told us: “We are built exclusively on the twin ideas of fast-shipping and not doing back-orders — ever. The Obama-induced ammo rush prompted us to open our online doors because we just couldn’t find what we needed on a regular basis…and when we did find what we were looking for, we couldn’t be sure that the [other vendor] actually had it in stock or just hadn’t updated their website. Hence, the on-site live inventory counter next to each product listing. So far, our customers have responded really positively to this focus on fast shipping with no back-orders.”
August 6th, 2010
 Placing your loaded ammo up high, next to your rifle’s loading port, can help you shoot faster, without disturbing your position behind the rifle. Many top 600-yard shooters, such as Sam Hall and Mike Davis, have fabricated their own high-mount cartridge caddies to place 10 or more rounds right next to their loading ports. With such a set-up, and a bit of practice, ace benchresters can fire 10 rounds in as little as 30 seconds.
If you’re handy with tools, you can build your own cartridge caddy from a block of delrin or wood, and a flexible mounting arm. But it does take time, and you may end up going through two or three prototypes before you get it “just right”.
Now there’s a “store-bought” solution. Creedmoor Sports offers the new Eller Straight Line Speed Feed Cartridge Holder. The Eller caddy has a large base that will support it on the bench. The flexible black stalk allows you to set the height and angle of the ammo block to your choosing. You can arrange your ammo horizontally, vertically, or something in-between. This unit can benefit any bench competitor, and we’ve even see this type of unit adapted by F-classers for “Belly Benchrest”. The Eller Cartridge Holder costs $94.95 and comes in two sizes: Small (6mm to 6.5×284), and Large (6.5×284 to magnum). Order item #E1002SM from Creedmoor Sports.
August 1st, 2010
 Many readers have asked, “Is there an ammo case that holds short BR, PPC and Grendel cases securely — one without a lot of extra clearance that allows fired brass to fall out of their slots if the box is tipped?” Yes, the J & J BR-100 Ammo Case fits BR, PPC, and Grendel cases just right. Many folks use the large green/red MTM 100-round ammo boxes for transporting 6BR and 6PPC ammo. The big MTM boxes work fine with loaded rounds, but not so great with fired cases. If you tip the MTM box on its side, the empties can spill out. That’s frustrating if you’ve meticulously sorted your cases. You won’t have this problem with the J & J 100-round BR-100 ammo case. It has tighter vertical clearance, so your empties won’t come out of their slots if the case tips over or is stacked upside down.
BR-100 cases are bargain-priced at just $4.88, and they come in Red, Blue, Smoke, or White colors. In addition to the BR-100 case, varminters who need to carry large numbers of loaded rounds should check out J & J’s 175-round Rifle Ammo Case (photo below). This foam-lined ammo transporter, item LR-175, costs $18.16 and is the largest-capacity ammo case we’ve found. For more info go to JandJProducts.Com.
June 29th, 2010
The U.S. Army has begun shipping its new, improved 5.56×45 cartridge, the M855A1 Enhanced Performance Round, to U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The Army will procure over 200 million rounds of the new M855A1 ammo in the next 12-15 months, and soldiers in Afghanistan will begin using M855A1 ammo in the summer of 2010. The new round replaces the current M855 cartridge used by U.S. troops since the early 1980s.
The military sought to replace current M855 ammo because M855 has not performed adequately in the Afghan theater. Specific complaints include: 1) inability to effectively penetrate vehicle windshields; 2) poor long-range performance; and 3) failure to fragment even in short-range anti-personnel use. The Army’s Picatinny Arsenal claims that the new M855A1 has improved hard target capability, more consistent performance at all distances, improved accuracy, reduced muzzle flash, and higher velocity. M855A1 ammo is tailored for use in M4 carbines but should also give enhanced performance in M16s and M249s.
 New Steel-Tip Bullet Design
The 62-grain bullet for the new M855A1 ammo is a completely new design. While it may appear to have a plastic “ballistic tip”, that’s deceiving. The new bullet created for M855A1 ammo has a bismuth-tin alloy core with a steel “stacked-cone” penetrating tip. The photo at right shows the version from last year; the final production version may be slightly different (e.g. the final version tip is a different color). Apparently the latest bullet design is a winner. During testing, M855A1 ammo performed better than current 7.62mm ball ammunition against certain types of targets. According to Lt. Col. Jeffrey K. Woods, the program’s product manager, the new M855A1 ammo is “the best general purpose 5.56mm round ever produced. A true general purpose round, the M855A1 exceeds the performance of the current M855 against the many different types of targets likely to be encountered in combat.” The chart below illustrates how M855A1 ammo performs on hard targets compared to M855.
Over One Million Rounds Fired in Army Tests
Prior to initial production, the new M855A1 round underwent vigorous testing. Official qualification of the round consisted of a series of side-by-side tests with the current M855. Overall, the Army fired more than one million rounds to ensure the new cartridge met all expectations. The new M855A1 round is the “most thoroughly tested small caliber round ever fielded” according to Lt. Col. Woods. The new M855A1 is sometimes called “Green Ammo” because it uses a lead-free projectile. Woods said the M855A1’s bullet design shows how “greening” a previously hazardous material can also provide extremely beneficial performance improvements.
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